At University

Top tips to help with writing assignments

Like A Levels, the process of submitting an assignment at University can be tough. At University, it may also be the first time you’re writing academically, which brings its own set of problems. But never fear, here are our top tips for writing assignments:

Make sure you know exactly what’s needed for the assignment

Double check you understand the assignment brief. Ask your lecturer about anything you’re unsure of, and make sure you know the word count and when it’s due in. If you’re really struggling, speak to your Personal Academic Tutor, or to the Learning Development team.

Plan your time

Like with A Levels, it’s likely that you’ll have more than one assignment due in, in a short amount of time. Therefore, it’s really important to plan when you’re going to research and write each assignment. At University, it’s up to you to plan your work schedule – so try and make sure you don’t leave it all to the last minute.

Speak to your lecturer!

Instead of worrying about the assignment, it’s worth speaking to your lecturer about your worries instead. They can help give you a new perspective to the question, as well recommend sources and material to help with the assignment. Like the saying goes – ‘A problem shared is a problem halved’

Plan your work

There’s nothing worse than writing an essay where you’re rambling and repeating yourself a lot. Even if it’s just on a scrap of paper, try and plan out what you’re going to say for each part of the assignment. It’ll mean you can decide on your key points, and give your work a good structure.

Don’t let fear of failure hold you back

Everyone hesitates before starting the writing part of the assignment, but it’s important to not let this hesitation hold you back. Do some research, but then get on with the writing. Don’t leave off the writing until the last minute. Even if you write something, and it’s awful, you can always edit it later – it’s a lot less daunting to have something written down, than just staring at a blank piece of paper.